OCEAN CITY — In 2013, small retail businesses on the Shore stabilized, not seeing an increase in business but not seeing a large decline either, which some see as an indication of a slow change in the area’s economy.

“I don’t think it was down, I think it was flat,” Chris Fisher, owner of Coconut Kids in Ocean City said. “I think the economy is slowly starting to turn, so I think next summer will be good.”

John Hickman, director of the Maryland Small Business Development Center, said the same has been seen at small retail businesses around Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties.

“It’s been fairly steady,” Hickman said. “We haven’t seen an awful lot of businesses coming in very distressed.”

That’s a change from several years ago, when Hickman said many small stores were going out of business.

“That fact that we’ve seen some new businesses open this year, that gives me optimism,” Hickman said.

Nationally, some major retailers have been cutting stores and jobs. That impacted The Centre at Salisbury just last month, when JCPenney announced it was closing its store there.

In Delaware, Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce CEO Carol Everhart said there had been no significant change in sales from 2012 to 2013.

The story is different for general merchandise stores, including department stores and big-box stores like Wal-Mart and Target. Sales tax revenue statistics, provided by the Maryland Retailers Association, indicate a rough November.

The numbers show a 41 percent drop in general merchandise sales for Wicomico county and a 15 percent drop for Worcester.

And overall, sales were down in Maryland for 2013.

“State was down 8.79 percent for the year, which is a huge loss,” said Patrick Donoho, president of the Maryland Retailers Association.

In Somerset, general merchandise sales were up 46 percent, though still more than 10 times less than in Worcester and Wicomico.

Donoho said customers are still looking for value and quality when making purchases.

“The customer today is very educated about price points and what they’re looking for,” said Donoho. “What they’re looking for when they walk in is help and customer service. Smaller retailers have the ability to meet those needs.”

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Kelly Loeser, co-owner of Quiet Storm surf shop, said her customers have been looking for value in every purchase.

“We always try to offer them some deals,” Loeser said. For some items, like eyewear, customers don’t mind paying a little extra, she said.

In Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach, Everhart has seen a similar trend.

“Was there a sale, was there a coupon, was there a discount? Those seem to be tipping point for retail doing same as, or better than, the prior year,” Everhart said.

Customers also want to know where the items they’re buying are sourced.

“You’re seeing that in retail, even if it isn’t a local production,” Hickman said. “I think that’s going to continue to be a trend.”

Hickman said the Berlin and Ocean City areas continue to grow.

He said Salisbury is stable, and that areas around Salisbury University have grown in the past year.

Joe Wright, president of Vernon Powell Shoes, said his store locations in Salisbury, Easton and Onley all fell flat this year, but he said they saw growth at their location in Rehoboth Beach.

“That market has been impacted by the recession the least out of all our locations,” Wright said. “That market still seems to be very strong.”

Wright is “cautiously optimistic” for 2014.

“I think it will be a little better, but I’m not expecting any enormous turn around in the economy,” Wright said.

In Ocean City, shop owners hope better weather will lead to better sales.